Interdisciplinary Simulation Courses to Train Residents on Communication of Unexpected Complications from Perioperative Care: A Randomized Comparison of Within-Event (Microdebriefing) and Postscenario Debriefing.

INTRODUCTION: Training to disclose bad news in a pluridisciplinary format facilitates communication and improves learning. There are many different debriefing methods described in the literature. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the value of final debriefing and microdebriefing with interruptions of the scenario in a simulation program about communication in unexpected complications from perioperative care. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized, single center study between October 2018 and July 2019 in a simulation center. Three scenarios were related to patient or family disclosure of complications which had occurred during gynecologic surgery by a dyad involving 2 residents (a gynecology and an anesthesia resident). All sessions involved 6 residents (3 gynecologist and 3 anesthesiologist). The main outcome measure was the immediate residents' self-assessment of the impact of the course on their medical practice immediately after the session. RESULTS: We performed 15 simulation sessions including 80 residents. Thirty-nine residents were included in final debriefing group and 41 in micro-debriefing group. There was no significant difference on the impact for medical practice between groups (9.3/10 in the micro-debriefing group versus 9.2 in the final debriefing group (p = 0.53)). The overall satisfaction was high in the 2 group (9.1/10 in the 2 groups). CONCLUSION: This study is the first one to compare two debriefing methods in case of breaking bad news simulation. No difference between the 2 techniques was found concerning the students' feelings and short and long-term improvement of their communication skills.

BJS commission on surgery and perioperative care post-COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the WHO on 11 March 2020 and global surgical practice was compromised. This Commission aimed to document and reflect on the changes seen in the surgical environment during the pandemic, by reviewing colleagues' experiences and published evidence. METHODS: In late 2020, BJS contacted colleagues across the global surgical community and asked them to describe how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had affected their practice. In addition to this, the Commission undertook a literature review on the impact of COVID-19 on surgery and perioperative care. A thematic analysis was performed to identify the issues most frequently encountered by the correspondents, as well as the solutions and ideas suggested to address them. RESULTS: BJS received communications for this Commission from leading clinicians and academics across a variety of surgical specialties in every inhabited continent. The responses from all over the world provided insights into multiple facets of surgical practice from a governmental level to individual clinical practice and training. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a variety of problems in healthcare systems, including negative impacts on surgical practice. Global surgical multidisciplinary teams are working collaboratively to address research questions about the future of surgery in the post-COVID-19 era. The COVID-19 pandemic is severely damaging surgical training. The establishment of a multidisciplinary ethics committee should be encouraged at all surgical oncology centres. Innovative leadership and collaboration is vital in the post-COVID-19 era.

Perioperative Goal-Directed Fluid Therapy: A Prime Component of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery.

Perioperative goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) is a prime component of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol. Multiple studies have demonstrated a relationship between GDFT and positive patient outcomes, including shorter hospital stays, decreased ileus formation, reduced gastrointestinal-related issues, decreased nausea, and hemodynamic stability. Electrolyte disturbances following a positive fluid balance may occur, and GDFT is aimed at euvolemia to avoid a hypervolemic state. Carbohydrate loading, early discontinuation of postoperative intravenous fluids, and use of isoosmotic solutions all are components of GDFT. Lactated Ringer's solution is the fluid recommended for nonrenal patients and patients with hepatic compromise. The negative consequences associated with hypervolemia deem it pertinent to devise an individualized GDFT plan in the ERAS protocol.

Team training and surgical crisis management.

Team training and crisis management derive their roots from fundamental learning theory and the culture of safety that burgeoned forth from the industrial revolution through the rise of nuclear energy and aviation. The integral nature of telemedicine to many simulation-based activities, whether to bridge distances out of convenience or necessity, continues to be a common theme moving into the next era of surgical safety as newer, more robust technologies become available.

Teaching and Evaluating Nontechnical Skills for General Surgery.

Surgical training programs have long used quantitative measures of knowledge, as well as subjective evaluation of technical skills, to define the competence of trainees. However, a growing body of literature has shown the importance of nontechnical surgical skills as vital components of quality surgical care. Institutions must train nontechnical surgical skills, including leadership, communication, teamwork, situational awareness, and decision making, and incorporate these attributes into their evaluative processes to maximally enhance surgical performance at every career stage.

Efficacy of an Online Curriculum for Perioperative Goals of Care and Code Status Discussions: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative goals of care (GOC) and code status (CS) discussions are important in achieving an in-depth understanding of the patient's care goals in the setting of a serious illness, enabling the clinician to ensure patient autonomy and shared decision making. Past studies have shown that anesthesiologists are not formally trained in leading these discussions and may lack the necessary skill set. We created an innovative online video curriculum designed to teach these skills. This curriculum was compared to a traditional method of learning from reading the medical literature. METHODS: In this bi-institutional randomized controlled trial at 2 major academic medical centers, 60 anesthesiology trainees were randomized to receive the educational content in 1 of 2 formats: (1) the novel video curriculum (video group) or (2) journal articles (reading group). Thirty residents were assigned to the experimental video curriculum group, and 30 were assigned to the reading group. The content incorporated into the 2 formats focused on general preoperative evaluation of patients and communication strategies pertaining to GOC and CS discussions. Residents in both groups underwent a pre- and postintervention objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) with standardized patients. Both OSCEs were scored using the same 24-point rubric. Score changes between the 2 OSCEs were examined using linear regression, and interrater reliability was assessed using weighted Cohen's kappa. RESULTS: Residents receiving the video curriculum performed significantly better overall on the OSCE encounter, with a mean score of 4.19 compared to 3.79 in the reading group. The video curriculum group also demonstrated statistically significant increased scores on 8 of 24 rubric categories when compared to the reading group. CONCLUSIONS: Our novel video curriculum led to significant increases in resident performance during simulated GOC discussions and modest increases during CS discussions. Further development and refinement of this curriculum are warranted.

Integrating Sleep Knowledge Into the Anesthesiology Curriculum.

There is common ground between the specialties of anesthesiology and sleep medicine. Traditional sleep medicine curriculum for anesthesiology trainees has revolved around the discussion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its perioperative management. However, it is time to include a broader scope of sleep medicine-related topics that overlap these specialties into the core anesthesia residency curriculum. Five main core competency domains are proposed, including SLeep physiology; Evaluation of sleep health; Evaluation for sleep disorders and clinical implications; Professional and academic roles; and WELLness (SLEEP WELL). The range of topics include not only the basics of the physiology of sleep and sleep-disordered breathing (eg, OSA and central sleep apnea) but also insomnia, sleep-related movement disorders (eg, restless legs syndrome), and disorders of daytime hypersomnolence (eg, narcolepsy) in the perioperative and chronic pain settings. Awareness of these topics is relevant to the scope of knowledge of anesthesiologists as perioperative physicians as well as to optimal sleep health and physician wellness and increase consideration among current anesthesiology trainees for the value of dual credentialing in both these specialties.

Desafíos para el anestesiólogo en pacientes con Covid-19 / Challenges for the anesthesiologist regarding patients with COVID-19

Introducción: En diciembre del año 2019, una serie de casos de neumonía surgieron en Wuhan, Hubei, China; el 11 de marzo de 2020 se identifica el primer caso en Cuba. El SARS-CoV-2 se transmite rápidamente con consecuencias nefastas para la población y constituye actualmente una pandemia. Las técnicas avanzadas para manejo de vía aérea son propias de anestesiólogos e intensivistas, estas complejas y requieren de elementos y dispositivos que no se encuentran generalmente fuera del ámbito de quirófano. Objetivo: Describir la conducta anestesiológica ante pacientes anunciados para procedimientos quirúrgicos de urgencias o emergencia, con sospecha o confirmación de estar infectado por la COVID-19, durante el perioperatorio. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión de artículos referentes a conductas y estrategias a seguir en pacientes con sospecha/confirmación de la enfermedad COVID-19, tales como: preparación y limpieza del quirófano, consideraciones anestésicas, manejo de la vía aérea y las medidas y equipos de protección necesarias para el personal anestésico-quirúrgico. Desarrollo: La Organización Mundial de la Salud y organizaciones sanitarias recomiendan adoptar en todos estos enfermos de forma rutinaria, una serie de indicaciones descritas en el presente artículo. Conclusiones: Se requiere de entrenamiento y actualización continua por parte del personal médico y paramédico. Los especialistas involucrados en el manejo de la vía área deben disponer de algoritmos locales y del material necesario para garantizar una atención perioperatoria de calidad(AU)

Introduction: In December 2019, a series of pneumonia cases appeared in Wuhan, Hubei, China. On March 11, 2020, the first case in Cuba was identified. SARS-CoV-2 spreads rapidly, with fatal consequences for the population, and is currently a pandemic. The advanced techniques for the management of the airways are typical of anesthesiologists and intensivists. These are complex and require elements and devices not generally found outside the operating room. Objective: To describe the anesthesiological behavior in patients announced for emergency surgical procedures and with suspicion or confirmation of being affected by COVID-19, during the perioperative period. Methods: A review of articles referring to behaviors and strategies to follow in patients with suspicion/confirmation of COVID-19 disease was carried out; for example, preparation and cleaning of the operating room, anesthetic considerations, management of the airway, as well as the safety measures and the equipment necessary for the anesthetic-surgical personnel. Development: The World Health Organization and other health organizations recommend that a series of indications described in this article be adopted routinely in all these patients. Conclusions: Continuous training and updating is required by medical and paramedical personnel. The specialists involved in the management of the airways must have local algorithms and the materials necessary to guarantee quality perioperative care(AU)

Graduate Midwifery Education in Uganda Aiming to Improve Maternal and Newborn Health Outcomes.

Background: Maternal and newborn health outcomes in Uganda have remained poor. The major challenge affecting the implementation of maternal and newborn interventions includes a shortage of skilled midwives. In 2013, Lira University, a Ugandan Public University, in partnership with Seed Global Health, started the first Bachelor of Science in Midwifery (BScM) in Uganda with a vision to develop a Master of Science in Midwifery (MScM) in the future. Objective: Evaluate results of Lira University's Bachelors in Midwifery program to help inform the development of a Masters in Midwifery program, which would expand midwifery competencies in surgical obstetric and newborn care. Methods: Lira University and Ministry of Health records provided data on curriculum content, student enrollment and internships. The internship reports of the graduate midwives were reviewed to collect data on their employment and scope of practice. Interviews were also conducted with the graduates to confirm the added skills they were able to apply and their outcomes. Findings: The critical competences incorporated into the Bachelor in Midwifery curriculum included competences to care for pre- and post-operative caesarian section patients or assist in a caesarean section, newborn care (e.g. resuscitation from birth asphyxia), anesthesia, and theatre techniques, among others. Overall, 356 students (40.2% male, 59.8% female) enrolled in the BScM program over the period 2013-2018. Annual data shows an increasing trend in enrollment. Of the 32 graduates in January 2019, 87.6% were employed in maternal and newborn healthcare facilities, and 12.4% were employed in midwifery private practice. Follow-up interviews revealed that the graduate midwives reported positive maternal and newborn outcomes and the ability to practice advanced obstetrics and newborn care skills they acquired from the training. Conclusion: There is growing interest in a graduate midwifery education program in Uganda for both male and female students. The retention of the graduate midwives in healthcare facilities gives a renewed hope for mothers and newborns, who benefit from their extra obstetrics and newborn care competences in settings where there are neither medical doctors nor obstetricians and gynecologists. Recommendations: Further, larger tracer studies of the graduate midwives to identify the kinds of obstetric surgeries and newborn care services they ably performed and their corresponding maternal and newborn health outcomes is recommended. Also recommended is advocacy for recognition of extra skills of graduate midwives by health authorities in Uganda and the region.

Educating surgical oncology providers on perioperative opioid use: A departmental survey 1 year after the intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A department-wide opioid reduction education program resulted in a 1-month change in perceptions of opioid needs and prescribing recommendations for surgical oncology patients. This study's aim was to re-evaluate if early trends were retained 1 year later. METHODS: Surgical Oncology attendings, fellows, and advanced practice providers at a Comprehensive Cancer Center were surveyed 1-year after an August 2018 opioid reduction education program, to compare departmental and individual opioid prescribing habits. RESULTS: The September 2019 response rate was 54/93 (58%), with 41 completing both the post-education and 1-year follow-up surveys. The departmental and matched cohort continued to recommend a lower quantity of discharge opioids for all five index operations (by >50%) and expected less postoperative days to zero opioid needs, when compared to pre-education perceptions. Providers continued to agree that discharge opioid prescriptions should be based on a patient's last 24 hours of inpatient opioid use. There was universal agreement that each respondent's opioid administration had decreased in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: The initial 1-month improvements in perioperative opioid prescribing perceptions were retained 1 year later by Surgical Oncology providers who recommended fewer discharge opioids, faster weaning to zero opioids, and standardized patient-specific discharge opioid volume calculations.

Statement From the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia: White Paper Advocating Desirable Milestones and Competencies for Anesthesiology Fellowship Training in the Field of Lung Transplantation.

The clinical, educational, and research facets of lung transplantation have advanced significantly since the first lung transplant in 1963. The formation of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and subsequent Registry has forged a precedent of collaborative teamwork that has significantly affected current lung transplantation outcomes. The Society for the Advancement of Anesthesia (SATA) is dedicated to developing educational platforms for all facets of transplant anesthesia. Additionally, we believe that the anesthetic training for lung transplantation has not kept pace with other advances in the field. As such, SATA presents for consideration these educational milestones and competencies for anesthetic fellowship training in the field of lung transplantation. The proposed milestones were designed on the framework of 6 core competencies created by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. The milestones were identified by combining the expert opinion of our Thoracic Transplant Committee, our experience as educators, and literature review. We offer this White Paper to the anesthesiology and transplant communities as a starting point for the discussion and evolution of perioperative anesthetic care in the field of lung transplantation.

Teaching Hand Surgery in the Developing World: Utilizing Educational Resources in Global Health.

The development of surgical capacity in the developing world is essential to address the global burden of surgical disease. Training local surgeons in low-income and middle-income countries is critical in this endeavor. The challenges to teaching hand surgery in the developing world include a shortage of local faculty, absence of a defined curriculum, no competency-based evaluation systems, few subspecialty training opportunities, and lack of financial support. To teach hand surgery in the developing world effectively, the authors suggest principles and components of a global training curriculum.

Road to Perioperative Medicine: A Perspective From China.

With the development of anesthesiology, patient safety has been remarkably improved, but the postoperative mortality rate at 30 days is still as high as 0.56%-4%, and the morbidity is even higher. Three years ago, the Chinese Society of Anesthesiology proposed that the direction of the anesthesiology development should be changed to perioperative medicine in China. Anesthesiologists should pay more attention to the long-term outcome. In this article, we introduced what we have done, what the challenges are, and what we should do in the future with regard to the practice of perioperative medicine in China.

Protocolos de recuperación mejorada en cirugía cardiaca: aspectos esenciales de la evaluación y el apoyo nutricional perioperatorio / Enhances recovery protocol in heart surgery: paramount aspects of perioperative nutritional evaluation and support

Introducción: Los protocolos de recuperación mejorada o precoz, hoy en día, constituyen un eslabón fundamental cuando se habla de mejorar la calidad de la atención perioperatoria que se brinda a los enfermos en aras de disminuir la incidencia de complicaciones. Un acápite fundamental en ellos está en relación con la evaluación, optimización y el apoyo nutricional oportuno. Objetivo: Demostrar la importancia de una adecuada valoración y un oportuno apoyo nutricional perioperatorio en los enfermos programados para procedimientos quirúrgicos cardiacos, así como exponer los aspectos esenciales a considerar en relación a esta temática. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión de la literatura relacionada con el tema. Desarrollo: La desnutrición es uno de los problemas más importantes, así se evidencia en una serie de publicaciones que datan desde 1976 hasta la actualidad. La evaluación del estado nutricional se debe realizar durante todo el período perioperatorio. En sus diferentes fases se describen una serie de factores de riesgos que, cuando están presentes, obligan a instaurar un apoyo nutricional precoz e intensivo por vía parenteral y/o enteral. Conclusiones: La evaluación y la optimización preoperatoria del estado nutricional es vital para una adecuada evolución perioperatoria de los enfermos, por lo que debe constituir parte indispensable de la consulta anestesiológica. El apoyo nutricional debe de ser instaurado de forma precoz una vez identificados los indicadores de riesgo en aras de disminuir la incidencia de complicaciones perioperatorias(AU)

Introduction: Enhanced or fast-track recovery protocols, nowadays, constitute a fundamental link when it comes to improving the quality of perioperative care provided to patients for reducing the incidence of complications. A fundamental section in them is related to the evaluation, optimization and timely nutritional support. Objective: To demonstrate the importance of adequate evaluation and timely perioperative nutritional support in patients scheduled for cardiac surgical procedures. Methods: We carried out a review of the literature related to the subject. Development: Malnutrition is one of the most important problems, as evidenced by a series of publications dating from 1976 to date. The evaluation of nutritional status must be carried out throughout the perioperative period. In its different phases, a series of risk factors are described and, when present, require the introduction of early and intensive parenteral and/or enteral nutritional support. Conclusions: The evaluation and preoperative optimization of the nutritional status is vital for an adequate perioperative evolution of patients, so it must be an indispensable part of the anesthesiological consultation. Nutritional support should be established early once the risk indicators have been identified, in order to reduce the incidence of perioperative complications(AU)

A basic anesthesia training program for nurses in Chad: first steps for a south-south academic cooperation program.

PURPOSE: Safe perioperative care remains a large public healthcare problem in low- and middle-income countries. Anesthesia care provided by trained professionals is one of the essential determinants to address this situation. This article reports the design and implementation of a focused anesthesia educational program for nurses in Chad. METHOD: This program consisted of four full-time courses of one month each, taught in a local hospital. The program included supervised practice in the operating room and post-anesthesia recovery room, skills lab simulation training, high fidelity crisis simulation, theoretical classes, integration sessions, evaluations, and structured feedback sessions. RESULTS: Seven male nurses, aged 28-40 yr, were accepted and successfully completed the program. The median [interquartile range] students' global satisfaction with the program was high (86 [85-93]%). Cognitive and skills assessment improved significantly after the program. Students subsequently worked in city and district hospitals performing essential and emergency surgical interventions. CONCLUSIONS: This is a novel south-south academic cooperation program for nurses in Chad. The program evaluation indicated a high level of satisfaction, effective cognitive and skills learning, and changes in clinical behaviour. Addressing the lack of adequate provision of anesthesia care is a task still to be faced, and this program depicts a bridge alternative until formal educational programs are implemented in the country.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Des soins périopératoires sécuritaires demeurent un important problème de santé publique dans les pays à faible et à moyen revenu. Les soins anesthésiques offerts par des professionnels formés constituent l'un des éléments déterminants essentiels pour régler le problème. Cet article rapporte la conception et la mise en œuvre d'un programme spécialisé de formation en anesthésie s'adressant au personnel infirmier au Tchad. MéTHODE: Ce programme était composé de quatre cours intensifs d'une durée d'un mois chacun, donnés dans un hôpital local. Le programme comportait une pratique supervisée en salle d'opération et en salle de réveil, des séances pratiques en laboratoire de simulation, une simulation de crise haute fidélité, des classes théoriques, des séances d'intégration, des évaluations et des séances de rétroaction structurées. RéSULTATS: Sept infirmiers âgés de 28 à 40 ans ont été acceptés dans le programme et l'ont terminé avec succès. La satisfaction globale moyenne [écart interquartile] des étudiants était élevée (86 [85­93] %). L'évaluation cognitive et des connaissances s'est considérablement améliorée après avoir suivi le programme. Les étudiants ont par la suite travaillé dans des hôpitaux de ville et de district réalisant des interventions chirurgicales essentielles et urgentes. CONCLUSION: Il s'agit d'un programme de coopération universitaire sud-sud innovant au Tchad. L'évaluation du programme a indiqué un niveau élevé de satisfaction, un apprentissage efficace au niveau cognitif et des compétences, ainsi que des changements au niveau du comportement clinique. Il reste encore beaucoup de travail pour régler le problème suscité par l'absence d'une offre adéquate de soins anesthésiques, et ce programme décrit une alternative temporaire intéressante jusqu'à ce que des programmes de formation formels soient mis en œuvre dans ce pays.